


Who will date the tiny sunshine?

by FriendshipCastle



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Choose Your Own Adventure Fic, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Multi, Nonbinary Character, he's just so shippable
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-06
Updated: 2016-04-06
Packaged: 2018-05-31 16:51:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 28
Words: 8,702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6478195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FriendshipCastle/pseuds/FriendshipCastle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Inspired by Choose Your Own Adventure books, you get to decide how Hinata navigates all these awesome, dateable friends he has!  Pick a ship and run with it as it's presented to you, or try to find someone new!</p><p>(if you haven't done Choose Your Own Adventures before, just follow the italic instructions at the end of each chapter; reading this fic in order won't make any sense at all.  at least by skipping around in chapters it should make some kind of sense.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The halls are packed with chatter. Voices crack in the lingering strains of puberty. The air is filled with the smells of court cleaner, volleyball plastic, and heavy deodorant. Gym shoes squeak on linoleum. 

Hinata is probably going to throw up all over that linoleum.

“It’ll be fine, Hinata,” Daichi says. He sounds like he’s stating a fact, and he nods confidently as punctuation. 

Suga gives Daichi a look that clearly says ‘back off’ and pats Hinata on the shoulder. “Really, Hinata, just breathe. Would you like some water?”

“I’m going to be sick,” Hinata whispers. “Don’t let Kiyoko see. Or Yachi.”

“Or Yamaguchi,” Kageyama suggests. “He’s a sympathy puker. He won’t be able to serve and you won’t be able to spike. We’ll--”

Suga gives Kageyama a glare that shuts him up immediately. “Hinata, don’t worry. You won’t throw up. Just keep breathing. Does it help to leave your eyes open or closed? Do you want to sit down?”

“I don’t know,” Hinata groans. He ducks his head and presses his hands into his stomach, trying to hold it all in. “I just… I need to stop thinking about it. I don’t think I’m gonna puke but… I think I still need the bathroom…”

__

_If Hinata checks his phone to distract himself, go to Chapter 17._

_If Hinata stays with the team and sits with them in the hallway, go to Chapter 8._


	2. Chapter 2

“Oh, hey Yamaguchi,” Hinata says. He rubs his face for a moment and then clamps his hands together to keep from fiddling with things. Then he holds on to his shirt to keep from fiddling with things. Then he starts fiddling with his shirt. His hands are going to leave big wet patches on his stomach. It’s good he hasn’t pulled his jersey on over his shirt, otherwise he’d have a soggy jersey.

“You’re nervous too, huh?” Yamaguchi says. Hinata looks up. Yamaguchi’s voice is wavery and he looks pale behind his freckles.

“Yeah,” Hinata says. “It’s kind of standard at this point. Why are you nervous? You’ve been training so hard, you’re gonna do great!”

“I… I’m not sure about that,” Yamaguchi says.

“Shut up, Yamaguchi,” Tsukishima says. He has his eyes closed like he’s maybe going to take a nap and he has his headphones on. It’s unclear how he heard Yamaguchi.

Hinata leans in and speaks quietly, so he doesn’t have to deal with Tsukishima. “You know, you’re working super hard on stuff and that means you’re gonna get good at float serves.”

Yamaguchi’s smile is as shaky as his voice. “If you say so, Hinata.”

“If course I say so!” Hinata leans even more into Yamaguchi’s space so he can better convey his passion for this topic. “You know, I worked super hard at volleyball and I got really good at it, and if I can do it then you can, Yamaguchi! You practice just as much as I do and you--”

“Hinata,” Kageyama calls from down the line of teammates. “I can hear you from here. Shut up.” Hinata sticks his tongue out at him but he doesn’t notice. He’s doing something with his hands that must require a lot of concentration. 

_If Hinata ignores Kageyama, go to Chapter 23._

_If Hinata responds to Kageyama, go to Chapter 4._


	3. Chapter 3

“Of course I can still jump that high!” Hinata says. “Hey, Kenma, I just gotta show Lev how good I am at jumping. You okay?”

“Sure,” Kenma murmurs. They go back to their phone game as Hinata bounces to his feet, watches Lev unfold, and then crouches to spring. He remembers to check that there isn’t anything over his head this time--that door lintel almost gave him a concussion last time he tried to impress Lev with his jumping skills. As Hinata glances up, though, he realizes that this feels like that time he had to jump up and get the volleyball out of the tree, back when he and Kageyama weren’t quite on the team yet but were trying to work together and get there on their own merit. Hinata remembers the heat of the fall day dissipating with the sun, the grass around his ankles, Kageyama’s burning stare boring into his back, the rough bark under his hands when he started climbing.

Lev is about as tall as a tree.

Hinata darts around Lev and jumps on his back, aiming for his shoulders. He gets an arm up, wraps his legs around Lev’s waist, and yells in triumph.

It really shouldn’t surprise him that Lev takes off running and howling. It’s a valid reaction to being violently and unexpectedly jumped on. Hinata clings to Lev tightly, feeling every jarring impact of Lev’s feet on the hallway floor.

_If Hinata falls off painfully, go to Chapter 25._

_If Hinata falls off romantically, go to Chapter 7._


	4. Chapter 4

Hinata immediately clambers over to Kageyama, squats down next to him, and squints at the thing he’s holding. “What are you doing?”

“Filing my nails.”

Kageyama is, indeed, filing his nails. Hinata has seen his mother do it on occasion, usually when they’re all watching TV together and there isn’t anything for her to do with her hands. She has fingernails as bitten-down as Hinata’s but she sometimes tries to fix them up all nice and neat. They get bitten-down again when she has to deal with angry customers, though.

“Why are you filing your nails, Kageyama?” Hinata asks.

Kageyama shrugs and keeps his eyes on the movements of his nail file. 

It’s really weird to see a guy tidy up hangnails. Hinata is used to seeing slim, small fingers moving the emery board around to shape nails into smooth curves. Seeing Kageyama’s huge, lanky fingers get that kind of delicate adjustment is strange. 

“Do you bite your nails?” Hinata asks.

“No. Sometimes. If they’re uneven.”

“I do.”

Kageyama sighs. “Go talk to someone else.”

Hinata waddles closer to him instead. “Is this a luck thing? Do you feel calmer when you file your nails? Can I try?” He reaches out to touch the emery board but Kageyama jerks away from him before his finger can land.

“No,” Kageyama says. “Go away.”

Hinata waddles even closer instead, and Kageyama leans away from him. Kageyama has to balance precariously on one hip to get a decent distance and he keeps filing away but he’s glaring really hard at his hand now and that nail file is going back and forth really, really fast.

“Kageyama?” Hinata says. He reaches out and manages to snag the emery board on a pass. “I just wanna check it out really quick, okay?” He sits back on his heels and feels the rough texture, kind of like rocks but completely flat. It’s like sandpaper on one side and foam on the other. 

Hinata is about to try filing his own nails when Kageyama reaches over and snatches the nail file from him, eyebrows twisted in another glare. “Stop touching my stuff, Hinata!”

_Go on to Chapter 13. ___


	5. Chapter 5

“You don’t have to puke?” Kageyama says. His frown of confusion changes into a frown of realization. “You’re going to shit yourself?”

“Potty-mouth,” Hinata snaps, and staggers down the hallway towards the men’s room.

“Don’t be too long!” Daichi calls after him.

Hinata hears Suga say, “Don’t worry, he has his phone with him,” and then the team is out of earshot. 

Going to the bathroom has had pretty dangerous consequences in the past (running into Kageyama, running into Kageyama’s old teammates, running into Lev and hitting his head on a lintel), so Hinata peeks around the swinging door warily, but he doesn’t recognize the uniforms at the urinals. He sneaks past them and is almost at a stall when one of the other stalls opens and out steps the massive, pale wall from Dateko.

Hinata squeaks. “Oh!”

The other boy glares down at him. Hinata is about to back away when he remembers that this guy has the same resting-glare-face that Kageyama suffers from; the frown doesn’t mean anything.

“Um,” Hinata says. “Hi. Hello!”

The other boy grunts. 

Hinata shifts from foot to foot for a moment. “We’re in your bracket so we’re going to beat you!” The boy’s name clicks suddenly and he adds, “Aone!”

The brow ridge where Aone would normally have had eyebrows rises up in either surprise or incredulity.

“But first I gotta, uh.” Hinata scoots around him and into the nearest stall. He sighs with relief.

When he gets out, though, Aone is still there. He’s staring at the sink and wiping his hands with a paper towel that is rapidly disintegrating. Aone looks up when Hinata slams the stall door open, but he quickly looks back at the sink. In a deep, rib-rattling monotone, he asks, “Are you okay?”

“What?”

“You okay?”

“I guess, yeah. I just get so nervous before games!”

“Oh.”

Hinata splashes some water on his face and dries it off with his sleeve. When he looks up, he sees that Aone is turning away from him.

“What?” Hinata says. “You don’t think we can take you? I can take you!”

Aone’s chin ducks even closer to his chest. He says nothing. 

Hinata squints at him. “Why’re you still here?”

Aone shrugs.

“Were you checking on me? Checking out the competition?” Hinata tries to puff himself up.

Aone darts another glance at him, then looks away again. The tips of his ears are turning a faint pink that is only visible because he’s so pale and Hinata is squinting at him so hard.

_If Hinata leaves and returns to his team, go to Chapter 6._

_If Hinata is charmed by Aone’s silent presence, go to Chapter 9._


	6. Chapter 6

“Okay,” Hinata says slowly. “Well. I guess I’ll see you on the court then! I’ll get back to my team.” He waves goodbye and runs off. 

He has to dodge his way through the crush of tall, lanky bodies wearing a rainbow of colors. It’s a funny thing to notice, but here Hinata’s hair isn’t the brightest, most colorful thing in the room. He’s the one wearing black! Still, he’s pretty sure he can rival any of these other teams.

The mob of black that Hinata belongs to has settled more comfortably against their wall, in a hallway not too crowded with passing teams. It’s quiet enough that Tsukishima and Asahi have stretched their legs out, nearly blocking the pathway. 

A troupe of volleyball players shuffles past and Asahi quickly tucks his legs into his chest. Tsukishima stretches his arms overhead and leaves his limbs splayed across the floor. Yamaguchi pokes him, grinning nervously. Tsukishima swats at him and doesn’t move. Hinata winces when a bony ankle manages to trip the other team. Yamaguchi hides his snickers with both hands but Tsukishima snorts derisively and without shame.

Hinata sidles up to his team carefully, in case Tsukishima thinks he can trip Hinata for giggles.

_Go on to Chapter 17._


	7. Chapter 7

It takes a while, but Lev finally gets tired. Hinata can feel his running getting sloppy, weaving side to side with Hinata’s added weight instead of ignoring it completely. No wonder Lev has such amazing calves if he can run like that. Hinata relaxes his grip a little bit and takes what feels like the first breath since he decided to climb Lev like he was an oak.

Lev has hair like Sugawara’s. It’s all silver-grey and silky-looking. Hinata scooches his way a little higher on Lev and buries his nose in the nape of Lev’s neck, testing his hypothesis. It is indeed silky. Maybe Lev uses conditioner, like Natsu and Hinata’s mom do.

Lev suddenly bends forward. With a squeak, Hinata topples over his bowed back, rushing past his head and tucked chin. The world cartwheels, or rather Hinata does and the world stays dreadfully still.

Hands dart out to catch his shoulders before Hinata can smack ass-first into the hallway tile. Hinata sighs in relief. “Thanks.”

“Hinata?” Lev says.

“Yeah?” Hinata wheezes. How is he more winded than Lev? Lev just ran a mile through the high school’s hallways with Hinata on his back. He looks calm, though. Weirdly calm, considering this is Lev. His sharp, clear eyes look intent.

“Can I make out with you?”

“Oh,” Hinata says. “Yeah!”

Lev settles down on his heels on the floor, which is the only way he’s going to come close to Hinata’s height. He leans forward and presses his lips to Hinata’s. It feels like he moisturizes these, too. Is there conditioner for lips? Hinata doesn’t know, but when Lev wraps his arms around Hinata (and he can basically give himself a hug while also hugging Hinata, he’s so long and noodly), Hinata doesn’t care anymore.

In a haze of smacking noises and some really messy lip-chewing, Hinata hears a familiar voice ask, “Why don’t we ever do that, Asahi?”

“Noya! Don’t-- Is that Hinata?”

“Dibs on telling Daichi!” 

There is the patter of feet running away, and Hinata absently wishes them well as he tries cramming his tongue in Lev’s mouth. It’s hard to tell from the noises, but he thinks Lev is into it because he gets hauled even closer to Lev’s bony chest.

END


	8. Chapter 8

“Why don’t you try sitting down?” Suga says kindly. He lets Hinata lean on him as Hinata sinks slowly to the floor. “Here, I’ll go get you water.”

“You’re so nice,” Hinata whispers after him. He buries his head in his arms and sighs.

“Um, Hinata?”

Hinata peeks up at Yachi. “Yes?”

“I have some ginger chews that help when I get motion sickness in the car,” Yachi says. She’s tugging her side-ponytail and shifting from foot to foot.

“That’s okay,” Hinata says. “I’m not feeling motion sick, I’m feeling just-before-a-game sick. I don’t want you to waste ginger chews.”

“You could try one and see,” Yachi says.

Hinata shrugs. “Yeah, okay. If you think it’ll help.”

Yachi digs in her manager bag (she’s bedazzled a corner so that it says her name in sparkles) and smiles triumphantly when she pulls out a little packet. “Here!”

Hinata pops the little lozenge in his mouth. “Thanks, Yachi. You’re going to be a super good manager when you take over for Kiyoko.”

The sweet-spice of the ginger lozenge dissolves on his tongue. It reminds Hinata of when he’d drink ginger ale for an upset stomach. It does really seem to be working. He tells Yachi, and she blushes happily and bustles off to follow Kiyoko around or help save someone else from certain terror, whatever Yachi does when she isn’t making Hinata’s life easier. He should probably tell her how amazing she is, he decides.

But just as Hinata is standing up, someone who is very excited and also very loud yells, “Hinata, Suga said you weren’t feeling good so I’m here to distract you!”

_If Hinata waves off whoever it is so he can thank Yachi properly, go to Chapter 12._

_If Hinata is distracted by whoever it is, go to Chapter 20._


	9. Chapter 9

“Hey!” Hinata reaches over and shakes Aone’s arm a little, poised to run if he seems too scary. Aone just looks at where Hinata’s touching his arm, though. Hinata frowns. “What’re you still doing here?”

Aone shrugs. The massive, rolling motion of his shoulders is like rocks shifting into a landslide. 

Hinata is getting a crick in his neck looking up at the guy for this long. He shakes Aone’s arm again. “What does that meeeeean?” he whines.

Aone peers down at him out of the corner of his eye, but looks away almost immediately. His ears are turning redder.

It clicks. “Oh!” Hinata says. “Here, do you want my phone number? We can text if that’s easier for you! It’s what I do with my friend Kenma.”

Aone stares with amazement as Hinata holds out his phone.

“Here,” Hinata says. “Type your number in there.”

Aone taps the screen carefully with his huge fingertips. He reads over what he has typed and nods once before passing the little smartphone back. 

“Neat! I’ll text you.” Hinata smiles up at him. The smile feels insufficient, though. Hinata cocks his head, then turns and hops onto the sinks. He spins, adjusts so he’s sitting on his heels and is finally eye-to-eye with Aone, and then leans forward and wraps his arms around Aone’s neck and hugs him.

There is a lengthy pause before Aone’s enormous palms settle on either side of Hinata’s waist. Hinata can feel the rumble of Aone’s speech vibrating in his torso as he says, “Okay, Hinata.”

Hinata mushes his face into the crook of Aone’s neck and beams. For the first time all day, he feels calm.

END


	10. Chapter 10

Hinata whispers, “Sorry, Noya, he has a point,” and scrambles to the other side of Tanaka. He pokes his head around to add, “We can talk though! It’s like a Tanaka sandwich!”

“Don’t leave the most important part of the sandwich out of the conversation,” Tanaka protests.

“Of course not!” Hinata says, slapping Tanaka on the shoulder. It makes a louder smacking noise than Hinata had expected because it is bare skin hitting bare skin. 

Tanaka laughs at how much Hinata jumps at the sound. “Don’t worry, Hinata, that didn’t hurt a bit.

Hinata wonders why Tanaka seems allergic to shirts. Maybe it was because he looks pretty good without them on? If Hinata had abs like Tanaka maybe he would take his shirt off a lot too. Girls don’t seem to want to date him, though. That doesn’t make any sense. 

“You’re cool, Tanaka-senpai,” Hinata says. 

“Really? Of course I am,” Tanaka says, preening.

Over Tanaka’s shoulder, Hinata sees Kageyama staring down. If he squints and tips himself further over, he can see that Kageyama is doing something with his hands.

“Hey, Hinata, want to see me do a handstand?” Tanaka offers.

“It’s pretty good,” Noya chimes in.

_If Hinata goes to see what Kageyama is doing, go to Chapter 4._

_If Hinata waits to see Tanaka’s headstand, go to Chapter 19._


	11. Chapter 11

There are a lot of people trying to distract Hinata from his friend. But Hinata is not that easily distracted! 

“Sorry, Lev, me and Kenma are talking,” Hinata says. He manages to get an arm around Kenma with only minimal damage to his funny bone from a desk leg. He grits his teeth and smiles through the tingling throb running up and down his arm.

“Oh, okay,” Lev says. “You make Kenma feel better.” It sounds less like a command and more like a statement of fact.

Hinata turns to peer into Kenma’s wide eyes. “What’re you up to?”

Kenma shrugs, waggling their phone a little. “Kuroo took my DS away.”

“He’s rude.”

“Mm.”

“Why’d he take it? Normally he doesn’t care.”

Kenma shrugs again. Their eyes drift away, bleached hair falling in their face. It’s getting kind of longish. 

Hinata pinches pieces of it between his index finger and thumb and parts it like blonde curtains. “Kenma? Hello?”

Kenma gives him a tiny smile, eyebrows lifted in surprise. 

Hinata beams back at them. “You feeling okay?”

Kenma’s eyes immediately dart away again. They hum, “Mm.”

Hinata squints. “You’re nervous just like me, huh? Worrying about the big game.”

“I’m fine.”

“Really?” Hinata tries to get a closer look at Kenma’s face but they are very good at tilting their chin just enough so Hinata can’t see their eyes. He thinks their cheeks look a little pink but he’s never been the best at knowing why people would be embarrassed. Is this situation embarrassing to Kenma?

“I’m fine,” Kenma repeats. “You could probably go if you want. I’ll see you later, after all.”

Hinata unwraps himself from Kenma and scoots out from under the desk, but he takes his time about it. As he’s about to leave, he turns back to verify one more time. “You’re sure that you’re okay?”

“Fine,” Kenma says firmly. They are already peering at their phone screen again, chin tucked against their collarbone.

_If Hinata believes Kenma, go to Chapter 6._

_If Hinata does not believe Kenma, go to Chapter 28._


	12. Chapter 12

“Aww, thanks Noya-senpai, but Yachi made me feel better already,” Hinata says. “I gotta tell her thanks. She’s the best manager-in-training ever!”

“True,” Noya says solemnly. “She is amazing. She has already attempted to doodle a picture of our most beautiful team manager, Kiyoko, so that Tanaka and I won’t be sad when she graduates. She didn’t show us her efforts yet but we saw her manager notes and it was a really good likeness. You should tell her she’s a good artist.”

“Her mom does a thing called graphic design,” Hinata says.

“That’s pretty cool.”

“Yeah. It’s why our posters look so good now!”

Noya grins. “Yachi’s even more awesome than I thought!”

“Right?” Hinata laughs. He bounces a few times to try and dispel a little of his excitement. Then he jogs off towards where Yachi is crouching, speaking with Yamaguchi.

Hinata slows when he sees that just beyond Yamaguchi, Kageyama is… messing around with his hands a lot. It looks like he’s playing with a stick. Where did he get a stick inside?

Yachi’s giggles drift through the hallway and Hinata glances back to see Yamaguchi smiling at her as she hides her laughter behind her palms. She looks shyly delighted and it’s very cute.

_If Hinata goes over to ask Kageyama what he’s doing, go to Chapter 4._

_If Hinata continues on to thank Yachi, go to Chapter 16._


	13. Chapter 13

“Sorry!” Hinata says. “Sorry, but I just wanted to, I mean I just meant, uh. I just wanted to hang out with you?”

“What?”

Hinata shrugs and goes for it. “I mean, you’re the teammate I work with the most and we’ve gotten super good together so I thought we could hang out a lot more and stuff. And I could, uh. I’m sorry if I made things weird.”

Kageyama’s frown is very faint. He mostly seems suspicious as he says, “You always make things weird.”

“Weird how?”

Kageyama looks away. “Forget it.”

“I think you’re better than a best friend,” Hinata blurts out. He’s been holding these words back for a long time now. They tumble out of him. “It’s like, you and I care about the same thing the most and we can do a whole lot together. I’m really, really glad that I get to work with you and not Tsukishima or something. I can’t imagine what it would be like to be partnered with anyone else on the team. Suga’s a great setter and all but… You’re super amazing at what you do and you’ve helped me get good at what I want to do and you never make me feel bad for how much I care about this game. A lot of people do but you don’t. And I really, really like that about you, Kageyama. So thanks for being my teammate. My best volleyball friend.”

There is a silence after Hinata speaks. He can feel his heartbeat thundering in his ears, pulsing through the seconds.

_If Hinata panics and makes a run for it, go to Chapter 21._

_If Hinata manages to sit still and wait to hear what Kageyama has to say, go to Chapter 18._


	14. Chapter 14

It would be better if the day was simply sunny, but the many scudding puffy clouds make temperature-regulation difficult.

“Stop moving, Asahi!” Hinata whines as Asahi struggles out of Hinata’s lap and reaches for his cardigan for the fifth time. “You’re messing up your braids!”

“Sorry, Hinata,” Asahi says sheepishly. “I got cold.”

“The sun will come out in like three seconds and you’ll have to sit up again and take it off,” Hinata says. “That’s my prophecy.”

“It’s probably going to come true,” Asahi admits. “Sorry.”

“Just hold still for five minutes this time,” Hinata pleads. He pulls Asahi’s head back into his lap and picks up a dandelion. “I gotta get this in your hair.”

“Do smaller braids?” Asahi suggests.

“I have a system,” Hinata says.

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry.”

Hinata braids his hair. Wind rustles the grass and the weeds that pass for wildflowers in this meadow. A runner jogs by, puffing and wheezing, and Asahi flinches.

“Calm down,” Hinata mutters, intent on his braiding. 

Slowly, lulled by the clouds and the warmth of his cardigan and the fingers tugging gently at his hair, Asahi relaxes.


	15. Chapter 15

“We aren’t supposed to be sitting next to each other, Noya,” Hinata whispers.

Noya shrugs. “We just gotta be quieter so Daichi forgets he told us to sit apart. He’s talking strategy with Suga, he won’t notice.”

“Daichi never forgets,” Tanaka says, leaning over Noya’s shoulder to join their conversation. For some reason, he has taken off his shirt. “He will remember things forever and he will never--”

Noya presses a hand over Tanaka’s face and gently pushes him back behind Noya’s shoulder. “Ryu, hush. Daichi’s just a dude like everyone else on the team.”

Tanaka’s response, whatever it might have been, is muffled by Noya’s hand on his face. He puts his hands on his hips, fingers digging into the skin of his bare waist. Hinata wonders why Tanaka doesn’t like wearing shirts.

Somehow, Noya understands him. “I promise you, dude, there will be no trouble. Hinata, here, let’s see who can bounce on their butt the most without actually moving a lot.” He frowns in concentration and starts to wobble on the ground.

“C’mon, Noya, don’t corrupt our kouhai like this!” Tanaka whines. “Hinata, come sit by me, before Daichi notices you disobeyed him.”

_If Hinata listens to Noya, go to Chapter 22._

_If Hinata listens to Tanaka, go to Chapter 10._


	16. Chapter 16

Hinata shakes his head and focuses on Yachi again. She’s smiling timidly at Yamaguchi and he’s giving her a timid smile back.

Hinata hops down next to them. “Yachi!”

Yachi squeals and throws herself to the side as if he’s about to divebomb her.

“It’s just me!” Hinata laughs. “Don’t worry!”

“Oh. Sorry,” Yachi says, pressing a hand to her chest. She takes a shaky breath. “It seems like you’re feeling better.”

“Yeah!” Hinata says. “You really helped me out, thanks!”

Yachi smiles. “You’re welcome.”

“Get a room,” Tsukishima murmurs. Yamaguchi shoots him a wide-eyed look and doesn’t snicker, which is unusual. Hinata tries to channel Kageyama and glare like his eyeballs have the power of a thousand suns, but it makes his head start hurting so he decides to turn his back to stupid Tsukishima and ignore him.

Yachi is blushing. “Uh. You don’t… You don’t like me, do you?”

“What? Of course I do!” Hinata protests. “You’re my good friend! You helped me study! You’re a genius and you’re the best manager ever!”

“Hinata, I’m…” Yachi is tearing up.

Hinata leans in to hear her scratchy whisper, bewildered by this change in her behavior. Why is she so sad?

“I’m so sorry,” Yachi says, “I don’t return your feelings.”

“What?” Hinata says. He sits back. “You don’t want to be my friend?”

“Hinata…” She’s waving him closer, her voice barely more than a breath.

Hinata leans in again.

“Hinata, I’m… I’m gay.”

“Oh.” Hinata sits back. He thinks. It clicks. “Oh! No, no, no, Yachi, I just want to be your friend! We don’t have to date, I just think you’re amazing and I want to hang out a lot. That’s okay, right?”

“Oh!” Yachi beams, her face all red and puffy and wet from crying. “Oh, yes! That’s fine, I want that too!”

“Great!” Hinata leans in and gives her a huge hug. She squeaks against his neck, and then her arms come up to pat at his sides. He keeps hugging her until he can feel her settle even more, relaxing into the hug, resting her arms around his waist.

“Thanks, Hinata,” she whispers.

“No,” Hinata says, “thank _you_ , Yachi.”

END


	17. Chapter 17

Hinata’s phone buzzes in his pocket. Desperate to distract himself, he pulls it out.

“Kenma!” he yells happily. 

Around him, teammates wince at the volume. “Who is it?” Tsukishima says, rolling his eyes.

“It’s Kenma,” Hinata tells him.

“Tsukki…” Yamaguchi sighs, though he’s smiling a little. 

“What?” Tsukishima says. 

Yamaguchi giggles, then manages to control himself enough to say, “Don’t be mean.”

Hinata opens the text, which is bright and emoji-filled. It always takes him a while to decipher Kenma’s texts. He squints at this one for a moment, mouthing, “...winky face, tongue out, sparkle star, sparkle star, want two meet up, questioning-face emoji, jazz-hands emoji, happy emoji, sparkle star.”

“Does it seriously say that?” Tsukishima asks. He tries to sneak a peek but Hinata tucks the phone close to his chest and refuses to show it. Tsukishima shoves Yamaguchi forward and says, “Here, see what it says.”

“HINATA!” Noya bounds up and tucks his chin over Hinata’s shoulder, banging the side of his head into Hinata’s ear. “Suga said you were nervous! Come on, we can do jumping jacks to take your mind off of things!”

_If Hinata is persuaded to hang out with Noya, go to Chapter 20._

_If Hinata decides to meet up with Kenma, go to Chapter 26._


	18. Chapter 18

Kageyama opens his mouth.

He closes his mouth.

He starts glaring, and Hinata can’t take it anymore. “What’re you going to say, Kageyama?” he yells. He doesn’t really mean to yell, but he’s really nervous at this point and Kageyama is freaking him out.

“Don’t run off, okay?” Kageyama says.

“...Is that it?”

“Um. Yeah. But in a bigger sense.”

“What?”

“Like. Don’t run off. Because I would miss you? Um.” Kageyama runs a hand over his face. He’s starting to blush and Hinata is so glad he managed to bring himself to this moment because Kageyama blushing is amazing to behold. 

Hinata leans in to get a closer look at this pink version of his setter. He can feel how wide his grin is right now; this is marvelous.

Kageyama drops his hands away from his face and looks him squarely in the eye. “You’re my best friend, Hinata. Period.”

“Oh,” Hinata says. “Thanks!”

Kageyama is glaring at him really hard now, like he’s trying to beam some knowledge into Hinata’s head as he slowly says, “I like you.” Each word gets its own emphasis.

“Thanks, Kageyama. I like you too.”

Kageyama makes a frustrated noise and says, “I like you” again, even slower. He’s leaning towards Hinata.

It clicks. “Oh! I mean, I like you too. Still. In the same way.”

Kageyama jerks back, eyebrows shooting up. It’s rare to see him do anything besides frown. Hinata has to smile at this shocked expression, and then it’s a quick transition to laughing at how surprised Kageyama looks. The most surprising thing of all is that Kageyama doesn’t start scowling at him immediately. Instead, he starts smiling a little bit--a very little bit. It’s not so scary as a full-on smile. Hinata decides that he likes Kageyama’s face like this.

“That’s a good smile, Kageyama,” he says.

“Shut up.” But the smile stays.

END


	19. Chapter 19

Tanaka’s headstand is pretty good, even if he does have to do it against a wall. He has really defined arms. How do arm muscles get that noticeable? 

“Hey, Tanaka,” Hinata says.

Tanaka, red-faced and still upside-down, grunts.

“How do you get so buff?”

Tanaka’s legs fold towards the ground and he drops to his knees, panting. “Lots of push-ups.”

“Even though I can’t sit on him when he’s doing push-ups,” Noya says. 

“Stop comparing me to Asahi,” Tanaka snaps.

“Your arms are huge,” Hinata says. “Can I touch them?”

Tanaka grins and flexes. “Go for it!”

Hinata squeezes Tanaka’s bicep, feeling the solid strength under the thin layer of squishy skin. “Woahhhhhh.”

“Right?” Tanaka says proudly.

“You’re really cool, Tanaka,” Hinata says. 

“Thanks!”

Hinata lets Tanaka’s arm go. He tucks his hands under his butt to keep them to himself and adds, “I like you.”

“T-thanks?”

Hinata beams at Tanaka’s suddenly puzzled expression. “Do you wanna go on a date sometime?”

Tanaka’s mouth opens and closes a few times. “Um. Oh. I… I guess so.”

“You don’t have to,” Hinata says quickly. “I was just thinking I’d like to hang out with you more and stuff. You’re a really good senpai and you’re a lot of fun and you’re really hot, just like Yamaguchi said that one time.”

Tanaka is blushing and Noya is grinning and lapping Tanaka on the back. “Ryu, you kouhai-killer!”

“Yeah, okay,” Tanaka manages at last. He gives Hinata a smile that gets broader and broader the longer it lasts. “You know what? That sounds great! Let’s go on a date, Hinata!”

“Cool!” Hinata shouts. He punches the air in triumph. “I get to date Tanaka!”

“Shut up!” Daichi calls.

“Tanaka and Hinata are dating!” Noya yells back.

“Wait, what?” Daichi says, but Hinata stops listening in favor of hugging Tanaka while Tanaka still doesn’t have a shirt on. It’s pretty great, especially when Tanaka suddenly stands up, still clamping Hinata to his chest, and roars in triumph. 

Hinata laughs happily and adds his own “Gwahhhh!” of excitement to the general noise. This is going to be so much fun.

END


	20. Chapter 20

“Noya-senpai!” Hinata says happily. 

Noya beams. “Come on, Hinata, I invented a game where you hold your breath as long as you can! But the twist is that you have to do push-ups. Sometimes I play it with Asahi but I sit on him while he does his push-ups. I tried that on Tanaka and it didn’t go so well.”

“Really?” Hinata says. “But Tanaka looks so strong and awesome.”

Noya nods solemnly. “You know, he really is. But listen, I bet you could try sitting on me. We’re almost the same size so we could figure out how much I can lift this way.”

“What? But I might hurt you,” Hinata says. “And it’s right before a match!”

“True.” Noya strokes his chin thoughtfully. “Maybe we can just try it the regular way.”

“No,” Daichi says, appearing from nowhere with a grim smile plastered to his face. “You are both going to sit down—not next to each other! Sit down and be quiet. We need to start focusing for this game.”

Hinata nods quickly, and not just because Daichi’s face is terrifying. He’s right; they need to concentrate before this match. Hinata sits down and closes his eyes.

Unfortunately, thinking about the upcoming match makes his stomach start roiling again. He opens his eyes quickly and looks around for something to take his mind off his guts.

_If Hinata is sitting next to Noya (even though Daichi told them not to sit together), go to Chapter 15._

_If Hinata is sitting next to Yamaguchi, go to Chapter 2._

_If Hinata is sitting next to Kageyama, go to Chapter 27._


	21. Chapter 21

Kageyama opens his mouth.

He closes his mouth.

He starts glaring, and Hinata can’t take it anymore. He yells, “Well, okay, I’ll see you at warm-ups!” and he runs. 

His sneakers squeak on the shiny hall floors. He sees a bathroom sign and makes his way to it in record time, slamming himself into a stall.

He’s breathing hard, head between his knees, heart pounding, when he hears something over the dull whine of pure embarrassment.

“Hello?”

The voice is way, way too deep to be a high schooler. Hinata sniffles, even though he isn’t really crying, and he manages to say, “I’m okay!” He pulls his phone out and texts Kenma and then he takes a few deep breaths. He unlocks the stall door and yelps when he sees that one of the huge blockers from Dateko is looming there, like the wall his team is known for.

The blocker blinks at him. He says, “Are you sure you’re okay?” 

“Yeah,” Hinata says. “Um. Yeah. I just got nervous.” His phone buzzes in his pocket. Kenma has sent fifteen heart emojis and is typing something else. Hinata stares at the screen for a second but the three little dots hanging out on Kenma’s side of the text conversation don’t materialize into a reassuring sentence yet. He looks back up at the blocker and suddenly remembers that he’s called Aone. 

Aone is still standing there, staring down at him. His expression is pretty grim but Hinata is used to Kageyama’s face so-- 

Kageyama. Hinata groans again and tries to bury his face in his hands. Since he’s still holding his phone, he whaps himself in the face and has to groan some more. The phone buzzes just as Aone clears his throat. 

“You don’t seem okay,” Aone says. 

Hinata looks at him. He’s started to sway from side to side like a huge tree in the wind. His big hands are still wet from where he washed them in the sink. 

When Hinata glances down at his phone, he sees that someone who isn’t Kenma texted him. 

He looks back up at Aone. 

He looks down at his phone. It’s a text from Kageyama saying ‘get back here dumbass, warm-ups start soon.’ 

He looks back up at Aone. “I should go,” he says. He looks back down at his phone and takes a few steps towards the door. 

“Wait,” Aone says, but he doesn’t move and he doesn’t say anything else. 

_If Hinata talks to Aone, go to Chapter 9._

_If Hinata goes back to his team and Kageyama, go to Chapter 18._


	22. Chapter 22

“Noooo,” Hinata whines. “I don’t want to move! I like it here!” He leans on Noya and burrows into his shoulder to emphasize how much he doesn’t want to move. It’s bony.

“You’re on a bruise,” Noya says conversationally.

“Oh! Sorry, Noya.”

“Don’t worry about it, Hinata. You stay right there if you want. I’m tough, I can take it.” Noya flexes to prove how tough he is, but he is considerate enough to flex with the arm Hinata is not leaning on.

“You’re so cool,” Hinata says. He’s feeling much calmer now. Noya is the best libero in the entire world; Hinata’s pretty sure he remembers Noya mentioning that he got an award for being best ever libero when he was in middle school, and he can only have improved from there. With Noya on the team, Hinata doesn’t have to worry about receiving. Well, he does, but not as much. Noya is super strong and fast and fearless. He just throws himself at the ball, no fear! Even though Hinata likes playing volleyball more than anything in the world, he does like when he’s been switched out of rotation so he can watch Noya lunge for the ball.

Hinata hears Tanaka ask, “Is he asleep?” At some point, Hinata must have closed his eyes. He’s very comfortable on Noya’s shoulder. He burrows into Noya’s collarbone a little more.

“Nah,” Noya says. Hinata feels muscle and bone and skin all shifting, and then there is a loud, wet smacking sound as Noya plants a proud kiss on Hinata’s forehead. “He’s cute though, so he can stay.”

“Is it still cradle-robbing when the robber is even smaller than the baby?” Tsukki says. His voice is sarcastic and amused and Hinata almost pops up and yells at him but Tanaka beats him to it.

“Hey,” Tanaka snaps, “just because you’re so repressed you can’t kiss Yamaguchi on his cute forehead doesn’t mean you gotta be a dick about other people doing it!”

“You tell ‘em, Ryuu,” Noya says. His arm wraps around Hinata’s waist. Hinata hums happily and cuddles closer, feeling Noya run a soothing hand up and down his back. Sometimes Noya’s hand dips kind of low, but Hinata just giggles. He doesn’t bother opening his eyes—he trusts this libero.

END


	23. Chapter 23

“Whatever, Kageyama,” Hinata calls. He sighs and rolls his eyes at Yamaguchi. Yamaguchi giggles.

“Go on and bother your King,” Tsukishima says suddenly. His eyes are open now, narrowed behind his glasses. “We don’t need you here throwing up on us before a game.”

“Leave him alone, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi says, and both Hinata and Tsukishima look at him with astonishment. He actually sounded serious about that. He’s not smiling at Tsukishima either, Hinata notes. 

“Thanks,” Hinata says after a moment of silence. Tsukishima turns up the music in his headphones and doesn’t say anything.

“Don’t mention it,” Yamaguchi says.

“Hey, want to do something Kenma does with me whenever I’m nervous?” Hinata says.

“Sure!”

“Here, do you have a smartphone?”

“Yes.”

“Go download this app, it’s a really soothing game, you just have to put out food for people’s outdoor cats.”

While the app is downloading, Hinata manages to steal Yamaguchi’s phone and input his phone number.

“Hinata!” Yamaguchi is blushing under his freckles now. It’s much cuter than when he was all pale and scared. 

“We can hang out and practice together!” Hinata says. “Practice dates!”

“P-practice dates?”

“Yeah! Practicing together! After we win this tournament, I mean.”

“Practicing for… what?” Yamaguchi says carefully. 

Hinata smiles his most blinding smile. “Whatever we want!”

Tsukishima lets out a loud, derisive snort but Yamaguchi ignores him and smiles back at Hinata. “That sounds really nice. I’ll look forward to it.”

END


	24. Chapter 24

As other teams pass by, Suga points them out. “Him. Him. Him. Him.”

“Suga, you’re not serious,” Noya says. 

“I’m always serious,” Suga says around a broad, satisfied smile. “Stop grinning at me like that, Daichi will ask why and you’re silly enough to tell him.”

“It’s amazing!” Noya says. “Why wouldn’t I tell him?”

“He doesn’t want to know about it.”

“What? Why not?”

Suga sighed. “Daichi is… not as open-minded as other members of this team.”

“He’s homophobic?”

Suga made a wobbly platform of his hand and shrugged. “Sort of? He’s very uncomfortable hearing about it.”

“Damn.” Noya turns to stare at Daichi. “That sucks. He’s missing out. Is this why he doesn’t come to team parties anymore?”

“Yes. We all get too loud and gay and it makes him feel weird. Actually, I suppose it’s really my fault.”

Noya glances up at him. “What? Did you two make out at a party once or something?”

Suga smiles but doesn’t answer.

Noya makes a frustrated noise and turns back to stare down the hall. “What about the team that’s coming up now?”

Suga leans forward to get a better look. “Mm. The entire first row, the one with the lip piercing, and-- oh, he changed his hair. It used to be longer than Asahi’s but he’s the one with a mohawk now.”

“Holy shit,” Noya says. “Are opportunities for hooking up the only reason you’ve stuck with volleyball this long?”

“Of course not! There are easier sports to find hookups in. This is just a kind of delightful bonus to playing a sport I’m good at and that I enjoy.”

“And we have short shorts,” Noya observes.

“Yes,” Suga agrees. “Volleyball shorts are quite short.” He sighs blissfully at some memory he’s choosing not to share. Noya makes another frustrated noise.

“Suga?” Daichi says. He looms suddenly over the two of them and Noya instinctively squeaks, but he doesn’t have that same aura of intense disapproval that normally hangs around him. Instead, he shuffles his feet a little as he looks down at them.

Suga gives him a beaming, inquisitive smile.

“Uh. What exactly are you and Noya, uh. Hm.” Daichi coughs in the face of Suga’s unwavering attentiveness. “Never mind.”

“All right,” Suga sings out happily. “I’d be happy to tell you if you asked.”

Daichi nods and fastwalks away, to where Asahi is attempting to breathe through another panic attack. Suga and Noya both watch his ass in the aforementioned short shorts, look at each other, and shrug at the same time.

“Not really my thing,” Noya says.

“It’s hard to see an ass that heterosexual,” Suga agrees.

The turn to look down the hallway once more. Noya points out a boy walking down the hallway alone and Suga wordlessly nods, then leans in to whisper something in Noya’s ear that makes them both snicker. The boy gives them a weird look that gets even weirder when he registers that it’s Suga who’s snickering. Suga gives him a broad wave and a big smile that incidentally ends with his tongue darting out to tap the corner of his mouth before his lips close. The boy blushes and slows down for a moment, then keeps heading for the bathroom. Noya winks at him when he glances over his shoulder.

“You are such a nympho,” Noya says appreciatively.

“Mm. I’m just here to have a good time,” Suga says. Then he joins in with Noya’s laughter.


	25. Chapter 25

Lev’s gait is erratic, staggering, and makes Hinata’s ears ring. Hinata concentrates on holding on with every part of his body. If he could get a grip on Lev’s shirt with his teeth, he would; instead, they clack together every time Lev hits the floor.

Hinata is suddenly falling. He gets his legs under him and runs a few steps before gravity remembers that it still applies, even to him, and then he is skidding into a wall.

“Ow,” Hinata says.

“Holy crap, Hinata! Are you hurt? Are you okay?” Lev bounces around the edge of Hinata’s vision. He squats down by Hinata’s head, then pops up to run around nervously. “Should I get someone?”

“Ow,” Hinata says again. “No, I think… I think I’m okay? I don’t know. What if I broke my leg?”

“Oh jeez, does your leg hurt?” Lev asks.

“Ummm, no, not really.” Hinata wiggles his toes experimentally. “Here, help me up and let’s see if I can walk.”

Lev makes tiny, frantic whining noises as he drags Hinata to his feet. 

“I think I’m okay,” Hinata says. “I should probably go back to my team though. If they found out that I did this they’d be so, so mad at me.”

“For sure,” Lev says. “Just lean on me. Actually, want me to carry you?”

“No, that’s okay,” Hinata says quickly. He feels kind of dizzy and the nausea from holding on to a racing Lev and then hitting a wall is turning back into anxiety. “Thanks, though.”

Lev leaves him around the corner from the Karasuno team. “Sorry again, Hinata, that was really scary.”

“Yeah, it was. It was my fault too, though.” Hinata smiles as widely as he can. “Don’t worry, okay?” He waves and slips around the corner to join his team again. 

The anxiety is the only thing knotting up his insides. The ringing in his ears is almost gone already. Hinata is definitely okay. He sends off a quick text to Kenma letting them know that he’s fine.

“Hinata, oh man, there you are!”

_Go on to Chapter 20._


	26. Chapter 26

“Sorry, I’m gonna go see my friend really quick,” Hinata says. He asks Kenma where Nekoma is and gets a response within seconds; the team has a classroom to themselves instead of a hallway. He jogs off after promising Daichi that he’ll be back within an hour so they can start warmups.

Nekoma’s red sweatsuits fill the classroom. Lev is talking loudly with a smaller guy (only a little taller than Hinata!) and Kuroo is explaining something that requires him to use the dry erase board. It seems like a lecture on tactics that no one is listening to. 

It takes Hinata a while to spot Kenma. His friend has stuffed themself under one of the desks that has been pushed to the edge of the room. Kenma is peering at their phone, only a few inches from their nose. Hinata squats down in front of them and they finally lift their wide-eyed gaze from whatever game they were playing.

“Hi!” Hinata says.

“...hi,” Kenma says. Their voice is slow and it sounds softer than usual.

“Kenma!” Kuroo calls from his spot at the board. “Did you call up an outside cutie to help? You know anyone on this team would die for you!” He places a hand dramatically on his chest.

Kenma sighs loudly enough for everyone to hear and they all laugh, even Kuroo.

“Why do they think I’m here to help?” Hinata asks Kenma, because he doesn’t really know how to translate Kuroo. “What am I helping with?”

Kenma shrugs.

Hinata thumps down on his butt. “Well, whatever. You wanna play phone games?”

“Hinata!” Lev tries to scoot under the desks next to them. His warm, bony knees almost tip Hinata over as he says, “Hey, hey, Hinata! Can you still jump as high as you could last time I saw you?”

_If Hinata shows off for Lev, go to Chapter 3._

_If Hinata stays with Kenma, go to Chapter 11._


	27. Chapter 27

Kageyama is taking a big drink of water when Hinata glances over at him. His water bottle is leaking; the cap isn’t screwed on tightly enough and a wet patch is spreading on the left thigh of his practice sweats. 

“It looks like you went to the bathroom,” Hinata says, pointing.

Kageyama swats at his hand. “Shut up.”

“You’re gross, Kageyama.” Hinata giggles a little. Taunting Kageyama is pretty fun, and really, really easy. He presses a finger into the wet spot and watches Kageyama flinch away.

“Stop that. You’re gross”

“Are you nervous about the game?”

“No.”

“You’re lying.”

“No. Shut up.”

“I’m nervous.”

“We know, Hinata.” 

Hinata sighs and leans against Kageyama’s shoulder. Kageyama goes kind of stiff and grumpy, huffing out a breath of air that turns into a silly squeak at the end. Hinata stays, though. His stomach is still churning a little and he needs to distract himself.

Kageyama smells pretty good. He smells like volleyball. Or maybe Hinata just associates him with volleyball so much, now volleyball smells like Kageyama to him. It’s a plasticky, synthetic kind of smell, combined with sweat and floor polish and some kind of shampoo that Hinata recognizes from that time Natsu had dandruff. That’s what volleyball smells like now.

“You smell,” Hinata says.

“WHAT?” 

Uh oh. Hinata leans away really fast because Kageyama sounds mad. He sounds as scary as he used to back when Hinata didn’t know him very well and Kageyama was always glaring in the meanest possible way.

_Go on to Chapter 13._


	28. Chapter 28

“No you aren’t,” Hinata says. He plops back down and crawls towards Kenma. “Let’s cuddle till you feel better.” 

Kenma’s chin jerks up, their eyes even wider than when Hinata pretended their hair was a curtain. “What?”

Hinata smiles brightly. “I want to make sure you feel okay! C’mon, you can lean on me like I’m a lounge chair and show me your cool game. I’ll look over your shoulder.”

Kenma is still staring. Their eyes dart around the room once and then settle on Hinata again. “Okay, Shoyou,” they say softly. 

“Come out so I can lean on the desk legs,” Hinata says. He settles back, knees up like they’re the armrests to his human chair, and waggles his fingers invitingly. 

Kenma gives him that tiny smile and shuffles their way into the circle of Hinata’s limbs. They lean back carefully and start prodding their phone screen, quietly explaining this puzzle-solving game they bought. 

Though Hinata is concentrating really, really, really hard, he can’t help but overhear the rest of the Nekoma team.

“Fuck,” Kuroo says, “that’s adorable.”

“It is,” Lev agrees. “Reminds me of you and Bokuto.”

“I think these two are going to get up to even more than me and Bokuto do.”

“That would be saying something.”

“Don’t talk to me that way, Lev, I’m your superior.”

“What? Kenma doesn’t care about that kind of thing!”

“They’re special. You still gotta treat me like the upperclassman.”

Lev whines loudly enough that Kenma shoots him a look before tapping the screen to change the 3-dimensional puzzle slightly. Hinata smiles and nuzzles his way into Kenma’s neck, planting a loud kiss on the skin he finds buried in all that long, dyed hair. Kenma settles back against him even more and sighs quietly, a happy little sound.

“It’s so cute I want to die,” Lev says conversationally.

“Yeah, same,” Kuroo says.

The whole Nekoma team agrees that it was a beautiful thing. Hinata smiles into Kenma’s hair and watches them play their phone game.

END


End file.
